Rueben Bain Gives Buccaneers First Glimpse of His Potential

Rueben Bain’s preseason debut offered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers an early glimpse of his enormous potential.

The rookie defensive lineman saw his first NFL action Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Bain immediately showed why Tampa Bay selected him 15th overall.

Bain slipped to the middle of the first round because of concerns surrounding his arm length. The Buccaneers quickly capitalized on the opportunity to land him.

David Bailey went second overall, while Arvell Reese was selected fifth. Bain ultimately remained available until Tampa Bay was on the clock.

That made his selection feel like an opportunity for the Buccaneers. His first NFL snaps provided more reason for excitement.

Bain did not register on the stat sheet during his debut. However, his impact was evident throughout his defensive snaps.

The rookie consistently created disruption against Kansas City’s offensive line. At one point, Bain threw a Chiefs offensive tackle with one arm.

He also used a hump move to force an incompletion from Justin Fields. The play came on third-and-4, highlighting Bain’s pass-rushing instincts.

For a rookie seeing his first NFL competition, Bain looked remarkably comfortable. His technical ability already appears advanced for his experience level.

Bain’s Physical Traits Could Define His NFL Career

Bain will ultimately become an interesting case study regarding the importance of length. His physical limitations did not prevent him from creating problems against Kansas City.

Length matters, but other traits can help compensate for that disadvantage. Bain possesses explosion, leverage, strength, rotational power, extension power, and strong application.

Those traits give Bain avenues to win despite his arm-length concerns. His development will determine how consistently he can translate those strengths to Sundays.

The Buccaneers need Bain to become an important contributor. His production at Miami provides plenty of reason for optimism.

Bain finished his final season at Miami with 9.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. According to PFN’s CFB EDGE Impact Metric, he posted an 82.7 impact score.

That ranked Bain 15th nationally at his position. His preseason debut provided another glimpse of the talent behind those numbers.

Buccaneers Need Bain to Become a Difference-Maker

Tampa Bay needs players capable of making an immediate impact along the defensive front. Bain has already shown flashes of possessing that potential.

If he develops as expected, Bain could become an important piece for the Buccaneers. His ability to disrupt quarterbacks could provide Tampa Bay with a significant defensive boost.

The Buccaneers ultimately need contributors like Bain to help reclaim the NFC South crown. Saturday’s performance offered an encouraging first look at what he can become.

Perhaps one quote best captures the feeling surrounding Bain falling to Tampa Bay in the draft.

“The Stone that the Builder Refused will be the First Cornerstone.” – B. Marley